question about HRM and calorie counter

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kelseyleigh30
kelseyleigh30 Posts: 126
in Fitness and Exercise
I went and bought a HRM and calorie counter. I just did the Zumba 20 min video and it said I burned 477 cal. Does anyone know how accurate that is? I felt like I burned that many, but just want to be sure.

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  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    I dunno. I burn 500 cals in an hour of Zumba, so it might be close.
  • Jamiebee24
    Jamiebee24 Posts: 296 Member
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    thats a lot for just 20 minutes! does it have a chest strap? what kind is it?
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    The more you weight the more you are going to loose. A 125 lb person will burn less calories than a 175 lb more person, or more both doing the same exercise and for the same amount of time.
    That is why HRM ask for gender, weight and age.
  • kelseyleigh30
    kelseyleigh30 Posts: 126
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    It does have a chest strap. I am an almost 300 lb person also.
  • Jamiebee24
    Jamiebee24 Posts: 296 Member
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    Well, then awesome burning!! Chest strap HRMs are pretty accurate---so way to shake it ;)
  • kelseyleigh30
    kelseyleigh30 Posts: 126
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    thank you!
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    Yeah, if it's a hugger & all your stats are in there correctly, go with what it tells you. I tend to trust something that's sending an electrical charge through my ticker! Not unlike having a gun to one's head ;)
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Even for 300 lbs that's pretty high. I mean that's the equivalent of running less than 10:00 per mile. You can use it as a relative measure of progress (i.e. to compare your performance for the same workout over time), but I would urge caution about including the entire amount in your daily plan. Start with 1/2 and see how it works.
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,359 Member
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    Good job on workout!!! I saw a special on HRM's on Good Morning America and they emphasize that HRM's stats are relative because they do not take in individuals. They had studies done on the machines and the one's your wear and it was a toss up. Some were more accurate than others and visa versa. The said you can be sure are burning something but most of them showed you burned more calories than you actually did.

    Before this site I never ate any of my exercise calores. Now I do but only half or less and I go by my HRM stats, not MFP for sure.

    Example from yesterday. I went to gym. I did 20 min on elliptical, 15 min on bike, 40 min in weights and my HRM showed 538 calories burned. 32 min were in my HR zone and this was from the cardio and that was about 400 of the calories. I always check before I start doing my weights. I will never eat more that half of HRM calories burned to be on the safe side. Some days I try not to eat more than 100 of my exercise calories, especially if not hungry. Even better none as long as I am still losing weight. MFP shows me burning 1035 calories.

    I don't believe any of them are 100 percent accurate but an HRM worn is the best bet in my book and even then I am still going to be on the cautious side. Keep going!!! You can do it!! I hear Zumba is the bomb!
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
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    Which one do you have? I have the polar f7 and it uses the V02 to calculate the calories. For me I have no clue what my real v02 is so everything is just a estimate still. I know when I first got it it was set pretty high and it made my calories burned triple of what they should be,
  • DJH510
    DJH510 Posts: 114 Member
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    To be honest that number sounds like a huge overestimate. HRM's are not infallible, in fact they can be quite inaccurate, regardless of what American marketing might have you believe. 477 cals is A LOT of work to perform in just 20 minutes. I'm about to do a marathon, so am pretty fit at the moment, and yet would struggle to burn that much in 20 minutes. So major props to you if that number is accurate, but I highly doubt that it is!

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